Mechanical Technology April 2015

⎪ Structural engineering materials, metals and non-metals ⎪

Trellex bed lining keeps trucks moving Metso’s innovative Trellex truck bed rubber lining protects trucks from wear, thus increasing operational hours and reducing maintenance costs. Now, Boliden’s Aitik mine in northern Sweden has signed a three-year contract with Metso to deliver truck bed linings for a total of 15 haul trucks in the existing fleet of 30 trucks. This order represents the largest single order for truck bed linings ever for Metso.

T ruck bed linings are used in the haul truck box to protect it and the entire truck structure from wear and damage while trans- porting rock from the mining pit. Metso’s linings are specifically designed to absorb stress at every point of the truck work cycle, from loading to transport and on to dumping. The main benefit of Metso’s lining for customers is the long wear life compared with a traditional steel lining, resulting in up to four times longer service

Through their partnership, PMSA and Kraft aim to provide the local market with high quality equipment that is complement- ed by a value-added and comprehensive service offering. The two companies successfully hosted two concrete curing seminars in Cape Town and Johannesburg respectively in late 2014. Booysen says the seminars covered the principles of curing and the chemistry of concrete hardening as well as the differ- ence between racking and curing systems. “Another feature was a presentation on the curing solutions for pre-stress elements, structural precast and panels, and pipe and associated water management precast. The southern African market is ready for this evolution in precast concrete manufacture, and we are prepared to support them with value-added initiatives such as this,” he concludes. q The main advantages of Metso’s Trellex truck bed lining include: • Lower production costs; higher profits. • Designed to absorb stress at every point of the truck work cycle, reduc- ing the need for expensive unplanned maintenance and replacement of lin- ings and other truck parts. • The modular panel system is easier to handle than steel. • Panels can be replaced individually rather than the entire lining, resulting in minimised downtime for mainte- nance. • CE-certified integrated lifting system. • Environmentally friendly and safety conscious. • Reduces noise by 10-15 decibels, effectively cutting noise by 50%. • Reduces vibration. The difference can be felt when sitting in the truck. Metso is a leading process performance provider, with customers in the mining, oil and gas, and aggregates industries. Metso’s cutting-edge services and solu- tions improve availability and reliability in minerals processing and flow control, providing sustainable process and profit improvements. q

life and lower maintenance costs. “During the past two years, we have evaluated Metso’s truck bed lining through our existing life-cycle services contract for our truck models CAT 793 Flat, CAT 793 DS and CAT 795 Flat,” says Magnus Fjellström, maintenance superintendent from Boliden Aitik. “We have appreciated the increased availability of our trucks. We also value the benefits from a health and safety perspective as our truck drivers prefer to drive the trucks equipped with Metso’s lining due to their reduced noise level and vibration during operation,” he adds. Christer Br nnström, VP Service Operational Hubs, Nordics, Metso, says, “To strengthen our cooperation, Metso and Aitik are working together to improve the Metso truck bed rubber lining even further. The results will confirm the advantages of our solution over steel linings.” The majority of the order was

Truck bed linings are used in the haul truck box to protect it and the entire truck structure from wear and damage while transport- ing rock from the mining pit. Controlled curing for improved concrete appearance and durability C ontrol curing is an essential process in the manufacture of concrete prod- ucts as it ensures an aesthetically Michael Kraft, says the company is “dedi- cated to making these products stronger, more durable and more aesthetically pleasing while saving the producers time and money”. booked as a Q3 order in 2014, leaving the parts sales to be booked during the contract period.

pleasing and consistent appearance, while increasing overall durability and minimising cement usage. Pan Mixers South Africa (PMSA) is the largest supplier of concrete brick, block and paving making machinery in Africa and the southern African distributor for German-based Kraft Curing Solutions, which specialises in the manufacture of customised thermal dynamic and acceler- ated concrete curing equipment for precast concrete production. PMSA sales and marketing manager, Quintin Booysen, says the company directly imports a Kraft kit, which is assembled by PMSA-appointed subcontractors using local insulation and ducting materials. The company’s managing director,

“By making use of control curing, con- crete products will result in less efflores- cence and a brighter colour, which will also appear more consistent through secondary processing equipment. This method can result in a reduction of cement costs of up to 10% as well as a decrease in pigment content. Control curing also makes the concrete product more durable.” Kraft explains that, through the control curing process, the concrete becomes “more resistant to freeze and thaw forces”, and has a higher resistance to abrasion and chloride penetration. “The corners and edges of the product will also be stronger, resulting in less chipping.”

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Mechanical Technology — April 2015